Toy targets



Nov. 8, 1955 R. M. MARTIN 2,723,124

TOY TARGETS Filed Oct. 6, 1952 INVENTOR. ROBERT M. MARTIN ATTORNEY United States Patent ()f TOY TARGETS Robert M. Martin, Pella, Iowa Application October 6, 1952, Serial No. 313,283

2 Claims. or. 273-402 9 The present invention relates to targets, particularly to targets intended for children, and, hence, they are termed toy targets.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a toy to teach children to aim in a definite direction, instead of at random; to provide a toy by which children can try to hit an object, namely, the target; to provide a toy with some picture, usually one familiar to children, on the face thereof, to attract the interest and attention of children; to provide a toy which, when hit by a shot, will instantly fall into pieces, to the triumphant joy of the children; to provide a toy which can easily be re-assembled, even by children; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shown therein what i now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, I desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 is a front view, partly in perspective, of a toy embodying this invention, with a section of the base turned at a right angle to the rest of the toy;

Fig. 2 is a front view with the movable section of the base turned into the plane of the toy; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the toy, showing how the blocks thereof are held together.

This toy may be made out of Wood, even matched lumber, if desired, or from plastic, or other material, with the blocks thereof loosely connected, but at least part of the opposing edge of the blocks are shaped with tongues and grooves. A picture of some object, animal, or person, from real life or fiction, may be painted or otherwise secured to the face of the toy, as by having a decalomania mounted thereon. Preferably, but not necessarily, the material out of which this toy is made is seven-eighths of an inch or an inch (1") in thickness, in order to make it more possible for the toy to stand up, when it is desired.

In making this toy, the representation 1 of the object, animal, or person is secured to the face thereof, and the blocks are then carefully cut out along any desired lines, as 2, 3, 4, to make a simple jig-saw puzzle, but the puzzle is by no means difficult to assemble, since it is not desired to make it too hard for children to assemble.

The base 5 has an arcuate section 6 cut therefrom, and this section is fastened to the remaining base section by a nail or substantial pin 7 about which the section 6 may be turned to hold the toy in upright position.

The tongue and groove edges, mentioned above, are

2,723,124 Patented Nov. 8, 1955 best shown in Fig. 3, these edges being the horizontal edges, indicated at 11 and 12 in Fig. 1. At each of these edges, the tongues are indicated at 13 and the grooves at 14. The tongue and groove edges at the horizontal lines 11 and 12 have the special advantage in a toy of this kind of making it somewhat easier for a small child, whose muscular coordination is not completely developed, to place one part of the toy on the other. For example, the tongue 13 of the lower base 5 serves as means cooperating with the groove on the next uppermost blocks 16 and 17 of the intermediate group to guide the latter blocks into position as the small child brings them down on the upper tongue portion 14 of the base part 5 in approximately the correct position. The tongue and groove construction is of such short height as not to interfere with the target falling apart when hit with a ball or the like.

In use, this toy is assembled on the base 5 with the section 6 turned at a right angle to the rest of the toy, in the position shown in'Figs. 1 and 3. Then a child stands at a selected distance and shoots at the target with any selected shooting instrument, such as a bow and arrow or a pop-gun.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, 1 claim:

1. Atoy target for small children, of the type that is adapted when hit with an object to fall apart in several pieces, said toy target comprising a plurality of piece cut to interfit, one of said pieces comprising a base member having means to maintain said base member in an upright position, the upper edge of said base member being hori- Zontal, the upper pieces next adjacent the base member comprising at least two pieces, the lower edges of which extend in a straight horizontal line, the upper edge of said base member and the lower edges of said upper pieces being of tongue-and-groove construction, the tongue being of small vertical height in order not to interfere with the pieces of the target falling apart when hit by an object, and other pieces having along their lower edges a tongue-and-groove connection with the upper edges of said first mentioned upper pieces, said last mentioned edges also being horizontal.

2. A toy target as defined by claim 1, further characterized by the means on said base member for holding the latter upright comprising a section of substantially the same thickness as the base member, and the latter being to receive said section in complementary relation, and a pivot interconnecting said section with the base member to accommodate turning the section into a position perpendicular to the base member which is flush therewith, as desired.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,540 Rawitch July 20, 1909 1,009,468 Burrowes Nov. 21, 1911 1,230,263 Alexander June 19, 1917 1,636,966 Martin July 26, 1927 1,997,501 Sweney Apr. 9, 1935 2,243,620 Fernandez May 27, 1941 2,362,513 Waldmann Nov. 14, 1944 

